A former federal contracting officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture pleaded guilty Tuesday to an indictment charging him with conflict of interest, admitting he awarded a contract to a company in which his wife had a financial interest.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Miller accepted the plea from Larry Dale Dunkin, 64, of Cabot, who will face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced.
Dunkin worked for the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, which provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners and managers. He admitted that in March 2013, he knowingly and willfully awarded a $22,500 contract to Young Enterprises LLC, a company in which his wife had a direct financial interest.
The U.S. attorney's office said in a news release that records show Dunkin's wife was a part owner of the company and that the mailing address for the company that is on file with the secretary of state's office is the same address as Dunkin's and his wife's home.
Upon Young Enterprises' completion of the contract, the USDA transferred about $22,500 into a bank account jointly owned by Dunkin and his wife, the news release said.
Metro on 02/01/2017